ISSUE 28: THE THREE Rs
It’s the ultimate antidote to winter. Sun, Samba, and a trio of Brazilians who made the game look effortlessly easy and did things that will live with us all forever.
WHAT'S INSIDE
The Three Rs only played together 16 times, but when they did, they formed THE most joyous attacking trident in football history, and we’ve gone down a rabbit hole to find all the forgotten stories of the joy of the Three Rs including a night they absolutely leathered one of the great Argentina teams.
We’ve also have asked some of our best writers to tell us about the attacks that bought them the most joy. Elsewhere in the issue, you’ll find…
- Benching with ballers - a forensic study of the gym personas of the great and good of football
- Black Eagles Fly - a brilliant long read about Besiktas, fan culture, and family
- Searching for Jay Jay - so nice they named him twice, a deep dive into the ultimate cult hero told by the fans who knew him best
- Seoul Patrol - a first hand guide to South Korean football culture (and food, lots of food)
ROMANCE! RED CARDS! REDEMPTION!
An ode to joy, the magazine's cover feature is a love letter to the attacks that made us smile, laugh, and cry out of sheer happiness. Inside, you’ll find a 5,500-word celebration of the Three Rs—Ronaldo, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho. A trio with a telepathic relationship who only played together sixteen times, but wreaked absolute havoc on defences, thumped a Marcelo Bielsa side filled with a Rolodex of 90s greats, and went on to claim the ultimate prize. It’s a story of sun, samba, redemption arcs, and promise delivered upon.There is also a brilliant long read about Besiktas, fan culture, and family.
FRONT SECTION
Fun, food, and nostalgia.
The ultimate fanzine packed full of lists, volleys, the trailblazing Tony Yeboah, legendary quests, the wild world of football club crests, food, mad mascots, dogs, good and bad kits and more. Think of it as a warm up for the middle section, but one you’ll want to read again…
MIDDLE SECTION
The best football writing on the planet.
This is where the long ones live. We’ve got a fantasy list on footballers in the gym, a romance-heavy tribute to the Three Rs, a weekend of flags and lager in Motherwell with the ultras, the real AFCON in Paris and a love letter to Besiktas and the power of home. Throw in Romario, Stoichkov, Steve Bull and Statman Dave and its the greatest features section in magazine history. Again.
BACK SECTION
Travel, culture, and lifestyle.
The back is full of things you want to buy, a guide to Seoul by the groundbreaking Nutty FC that will have you salivating for Bulgogi, and a frankly insane photo shoot of scarecrows terrorising French fields dressed as some of your favourite players. Hang it in the Louvre.